6/07/06
MILBANK S.D. SHOW PHOTOS
Paul Shearer was good enough to send in the photos he got last weekend at the Milbank S.D. show. Looks like it was another great show - lots of sunshine, gorgeous sleds and pretty girls. Okay, sorry, there are no pictures of pretty girls, but about an opposed twin Polaris?

HOW SMART ARE YOU?
Okay this isn't vintage, but I think it's pretty cool. If you have ever had the urge to tell the workd about something you did to make your new sled really cool, or fix an annoying problem, then Snowtech Magazine has a new feature you are going to love! Called "Tech Wiki", it allows you to write and post articles (upload photos and all!) to the Snowtech web site - and share with the world. It's a little slim on articles now - but you can help fix that! Check it out at snowtechmagazine.com.

Best of Show winner, Meynard Krueger's 1963 Bonham Spartan.

6/05/06
HALL OF FAME CLASSIC SLED ROUNDUP PHOTOS
The Hall of Fame got their web site updated with new photos from the 2006 Classic Sled Roundup.

There was some really great sleds at the show, but I failed to find the time to take any shots - I'm glad the Hall of Fame got a chance to share with everyone. The story includes the total results from the show as well. There is also links to the 2004 & 2005 show.

This show has been a lot of fun all three years that I have attended. Good people, great sleds, good fun. See you there in 2007!

MILBANK S.D. 2006
Early reports from the Milbank show indicate the swap was again bigger then the year before, likely more sleds, but no one I talked to said any sleds really stood out... Maybe someone got some shots they can send in?

6/02/06
DANICA SPOTTING
Another spy story! Our spy was at the Indy 500 last weekend. At 2:00 in the morning, he found himself having breakfast with Danica Patrick, Danica's sister, Dario Franchitti and wife Ashley Judd, Marco Andretti, Micahel Andretti and his wife.He just happened to be sitting next to them, then he started chatting with Danica's mom. They had something in common as both he and Danica's mom are from our favorite small town: Roseau.

Thinking you vintagesleds.com readers would think he's full of doggy doo-doo, he was smart enough to buy dinner for the group, keep the receipts, and snap some pictures with his cell phone! All hail Queen Danica, and now Princess Ashley.

Danica Patrick	Ashley Judd
Dario Franchitti and Marco Andretti	Ashley Judd's money maker next to our spy's onion rings. I'll never look at onion rings the same again.
The proof of the dinner.

5/30/06
CLASSIC SLED ROUNDUP - NO SHARKS (YET).
So there was no Shark Kawasaki SnoPro clones at the Classic sleds roundup - but there existence was confirmed, and we should see them fairly soon, assuming my blathering about them on the Internet does not encourage the owners to go into hiding. ;-)

The Roundup was great fun. A 3:00 AM thunderstorm and downpour had a lot of us thinking the event was in trouble, but by 6:00 AM, everything was fine. It was a hot day, with a lot of hot sleds keeping everyone entertained. The Hall of Fame raffle winners were picked, and the SnoPro series trophies and cash were presented. 103 sleds registered, and more swaps spots then ever were taken. Lots and lots of stuff in the swap area. I met one gentleman who brought along his photos album of pictures he took at Eagle River in 76, 77 & 78. They were outstanding photos of the races and great pit shots.

Congrats go to VSCA & Vintagesleds.com "Best of show" winner Mayward Krueger and his 1963 Bonham Spartan, a very unique sled that restored perfectly back to what it was when it was new. Best "Arctic Cat" award, given in honor of Arctic Cat's contribution to the Hall of Fame, went to Randy Springer and his 79 Arctic Cat SnoPro. Full results will be on the Hall o Fame web site later today.

Last, the crew from PVR that will be taking over the SnoPro series next year awarded me a very, very nice plaque for my efforts in getting the SnoPro series up and running. I didn't expect that in any way shape or form, but it was really nice. Thanks to Bill Stull and the gang for the thought.

SnoPro driver Greg Channell takes the track on a leaf spring | Kawasaki "Shark" Snopro, December, 1976 Alexandria, MN.

5/26/06
A SWEET GREEN CLASSIC SLED ROUNDUP SURPRISE?
Wild rumors about the existence of some cloned 1977 Kawasaki SnoPros started happening several months back. Initially, I dismissed them as non-sense. But some new information has come to my attention - that some people have actually seen them - has fired the rumor back up again.

According to my top secret spy, there is two of them: An IFS and a leaf spring version. They have original Kawasaki SnoPro motors, but my source didn't know much more in detail beyond that he also couldn't snap a photo without being painfully obvious. It sounds as though the owners are attempting to keep them top secret.

However, I know some of the people involved here - should this rumor be true, we should see them very, very soon.

As in this weekend at St. Germain?

Maybe. If so, I'll have exclusive details right here by Monday!

See you in St. Germain!

5/25/06
PRIMED FOR THE CLASSIC SLED ROUNDUP?
Just to get you into that show mood, here's some photos from last weekend's VSCA National show. I think we all need to encourage WORLD CHAMPION Dave Larsen to bring his WORLD CHAMPION sled out to the St. Germain show so everyone else can bathe in "Thumper's" glory. I think Doc Jim needs to bring that PDC out as well! C'mon guys!

NEW FEATURE STORY COMING..
When I finished my Shark Hunting story several years ago, I ended it with this line: "So I went hunting for another sled, just as rare, but with much better results..."

Actually, I was hunting for that other sled at the same time I was hunting for the Sharks. But I wasn't looking for just one sled. I was looking for about 12 of them. I think you can guess what color they were. This story does have a happy ending. A much happier ending.

Stay tuned - part one of "The Midnight Blues" will be put up right after the St. Germain show.

SnoPros Mark Anderson and Jay Sperry Jr.

5/24/06
MORE ST. GERMAIN PREVIEWS
The above shot is Mark Anderson and Jay Sperry Jr. slugging it out at the Wolf Lake race in Alexandria, Minnesota last winter in the Vintage SnoPro Master Series. Mark finished number one overall, with Jay

This weekends show benefits the Snowmobile Hall of Fame and the new 5,000 sq. foot museum to preserve the history of snowmobiling.

Sperry and Bill Stull in very close pursuit. I believe all three drivers and their exotic SnoPro machines are going to be at the St. Germain show to collect their prizes. As part of the show, we will have the SnoPro Master Series winners awards and presentation. Check Snowpod.com again today for

a shot of last years show.

Mark has retired after this past season, but will come back just for the Eagle River Vintage World Championship. Jay is already in "full steam ahead" build mold, (rumor has it) building up to 5 racers for the series next year, and maybe (C'mon Jay!!) one very special, rare reproduction racer that Jay has inside knowledge of. Hint: Can Rupps swim with Sharks?

Geez. It's May, and the 2007 racing season has already started. ;-)

VSCA SHOW IN THE NEWS
The VSCA show last weekend made the Thief River Falls newspaper. Good article with some photos of the event.

1991 World Champion Sled Driven by Greg Goodwin - see it in St. Germain this Sunday!

5/23/06
ST. GERMAIN PREVIEW
Fresh outta' restoration from Pro Vintage Performance is this stunning Ski-Doo Twin-Tracker. The current owner wishes to remain anonymous, but Kurt from Pro Vintage Performance has done it again, finishing another rare sled just before the St. Germain show.

Greg Goodwin won the 1991 Eagle River World Championship aboard this beauty. The paint job was done by our old buddy Bill "Elvis" Stull at Kuzin's Kustoms.

The sled makes its restoration debut this coming Sunday - don't miss it! More surprises for St. Germain are coming!

Checkout Snowpod.com all this week. C.J. has a new photo everday from the 2005 Classic Sled Roundup.

5/21/06
VSCA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW
A quick few highlights from yesterday's big first annual, traveling VSCA National Championship show. It was fun - unless you got selected as a judge! You can usually walk into a show and pick your top 5-10 sleds in one pass. Not at this show! Of about 200 sleds, all I could do was pick about 5 that, well, needed work. The rest were ALL potential winners of the World Champion title. Clearly some of the very best was in attendance.

Notable events included visits from legends David Johnson, Davie Thompson, Bob Eastman, Jim Bernat, Don Omdahl, Bob Prezekwas, John Deere racers Jon Carlson and Jon Enns, 69 World Champion Roger Jansen, and Edgar Hetteen. It was a smorgasbord of legends.

For anyone thinking all the good stuff is gone (not picking on anyone!) reports were confirmed that either 74 or 75 Cat SnoPro sled showed up in the back of a pick-up truck. It was sold within minutes for just $800. Talk about WOW! There was an EXCELLENT 77 Moto-Ski racer that was sold in the swap meet, and an 81 Cat SnoPro for sale as well!

Too many highlight sleds to go over .. I'll have to do that in a full report. But, ladies and gentleman... Your first ever VSCA WORLD CHAMPION is DAVE LARSEN with his outstanding 1968 Polaris racer, affectionately known as "Thumper".

My sincerest appreciation goes out to the judges - there was so much great stuff there that to pick a winner in all the classes and overall - what a challenge.

Getting ready for St. Germain? Sounds like most of the great sleds at Thief River Falls last weekend will make the trip to Wisconsin - so you still have a chance to see all this great hardware in person!

More to come...

5/18/06
CLASSIC SHOTS
Oh yeah. Today's crop includes Doug Hayes, Larry Rugland, Some cross country racers getting excited for the race start, Brad Hulings with a SnoPro win on his 76 Merc and a nifty looking 72 Thunderjet complete with a liquid motor!

Master Rugland at Speed on one of his Bomber Moto-Skis.

Waiting their turn to start in the I-500, 1977.

1976 "overnight" success Brad Hulings shocks this huge crowd by beating the factories!

Very cool liquid cooled 1972 Thunderjet.

5/17/06
BIG CHANGES AT PRO VINTAGE RACING!
For years now, Pro Vintage Racing has been the group that organized and ran the vintage races in conjunction with the Derby Track in Eagle River Wisconsin. They have done a great job, and the event has grown leaps and bounds over the years.

Some changes have been made official with the Pro Vintage Group (PVR) for next year: First of all, leadership of PVR has changed hands. The new organization will be headed by Kurt Andrews and Bill Stull. Secondly, at a recent board meeting, they voted to not organize & run the race at Eagle River next year. The Derby Track will run their own program next year, and Pro Vintage drivers will all be in attendance. Both parties are happy with this development, and racing should be as intense as ever at the Derby Track. For more info on the Derby Track vintage race, keep an eye on the Derby Track web site.

PVR hopes to have four to five races in the 2007 season. Two of them are confirmed, two others are being worked on as this is written. If you would like to follow the organization, make suggestions or just plain shoot the breeze, visit provintageracing.com.

Rules for PVR, Eagle River and the other associations should be available very soon.

Also... I would like to announce that Bill, Kurt and the whole PVR gang will officially be taking over the Vintage SnoPro Master Series for 2006-2007! It will now be called the Pro Vintage Racing SnoPro Series.

I have had a great time setting up and running the series over the last two years. I'd like to think I did something kind of cool there and that it was interesting to fans and racers alike. I know it was really neat to see some of the crowds showing up at the races last year. It is also really fun to know that in 2007 a new name will go on the Hall of Fame cup - and that a new name will go on it for years to come.

I'd also like to thank all the people who made the series possible over the last two years - the sponsors, Kuzins Kustoms, Microblue Racing, Wahl Brothers, LC Communications, The Snowmobile Hall of Fame, all the race tracks and promoters, the fans, and mostly - the racers who made it happen. I'm still in awe of you guys.

For next year, PVR and the gang have some big plans - all of which I am looking forward to see happen. Races are already committed to take place in Eagle River, Freeport & Hayward. Negotiations are underway for the other two.

So thanks everyone - I look forward to watching some great Vintage SnoPro racing in 2007!

5/15/06
MAILBOX DEBUT
You know the summer show season is getting close when the inbox get all kinds of photos of newly restored sleds in it. Here's a great example. Cat guy Tom Ische wrote to tell me the site needs more Cat stuff - so he sent me new photos of this 1978 Cat SnoPro he has just finished in time for the summer shows. Tom will have this Cat at the Thief River Falls show this coming weekend. I'm hoping he'll bring it to St. Germain the following weekend.

The 78 Cat was affectionately called the "Mailbox" for its rather square-ish styling. This one is a 250cc machine that Tom recently bought from Mike Meagher. It had a Wahl front end on it, but Tom pulled that part and let Mike keep it. At first Tom was not sure if it was a 78 or 79, so he did a bunch of research on it. Combining information from Al Enno and Steve Olson, it was determined to be a 78 chassis. Tom found a correct top and for the motor, and he's been restoring it since about January 1st, non stop until now.

Tom's next project is an 81 Cat SnoPro he picked up over 2 years ago. Nice work Tom!

5/11/06
STAR POWER
One of my buddies out on the East coast (who likes to keep a very low profile) found a very rare one... This very original 1973 Starfire that has recently come out of hiding.

It's an original 650cc Chassis, and he got it with an 73 800cc motor in great condition. That's exactly how you got one in 1973 as well.

When he got the motor, it had a 72 795cc Starfire case on it. It came with the correct 73 case, so he replaced it, dropped the motor in the chassis and he now has 1 of 4 known existing 1973 800cc machines.

The current owner says the motor still needs to have a little work done to make it run. He didn't complete the mods on the case that are required for the cylinder. but it's all there and all mega-monster Polaris power at it's finest.

What's really cool about this 73 is the original kehin carbs and the original pipes - a very rare find indeed. Suspension and track are original and uncut, a fate most 73 Starfires did could not avoid. Also the pan, hood and seat are all in terrific original condition, a very rare way to find any 73 Starfire these days, let alone an 800.

One can't help but notice the other Starfire in the back of the top photo and the lmpressive line up of 73 650cc and 440cc motors and parts in that truck also... What's up with those?

The current owner says he's not likely to keep this rare gem; rather he'd most likely let it to go to a good collection where it will be well cared for and appreciated.

That's also not all he found in this stash... over the next few months, we'll be sharing with you a whole slew of Polaris stuff that he is carefully bringing home, cataloging and storing.

This reminds me that a few weeks back some one was lamenting on the Bull Sessions that there wasn't any good stuff left out there... I beg to differ. There's a ton of it yet to be discovered if you are lucky enough to go hunting for it!

BOMBARDIER RACE TRUCK FOUND!
Martin Doucet emailed after seeing the 76 Bombardier SnoPro truck photo listed below - it still exists! Here's what Martin had to say:

"Hello I just saw on your web site some pictures of a Bombardier old truck trailer. Just for your information one of those trailer still exist! I was working for the R&D at ski-doo back in 2001 and saw one of those trailer in a small car junk yard out of Valcourt. Maybe it could interest some collector I don't know. Don't know if it still there now but it was in 2001. By the way I really like your web site!"

Later Martin added:

"I even think if my memory is good that it was older than the one shown on the pic. Because I don't remember seeing Moto-Ski writing on it like on your picture. So maybe a trailer from 69-74 era. Before ski-doo bought Moto-Ski. Hehehe maybe the 74 sno pro are hidden inside...But seriously its probably full of old tire or car parts. If I go back there someday Ill take a pictue of it if still there and mail it to you."

The Kawasaki K1 race car, circa 1972.

5/10/06
SHARK HUNTING?
One of the best sources of Cat info on the web or anyone else, Glen Mallory just sent in this story he found on "the knee slider.com". It's the story of how Kawasaki once took a turn at car racing - using snowmobile engines. In fact, according to the article, they were trying to promote a new form of racing using snowmobile engines in 1972. It's an interesting read.

Speaking of Shark Hunting... while none of the originals have been found, I hear we might be getting closer and closer to a good clone coming out of the woods. In light of the fact that no real ones are around, I for one would be overjoyed to see a lovingly crafted clone.

HALL OF FAME TO AUCTION OFF A MODINE GARAGE HEATER!
A sweet Modine garage heater will be available at the Classic Sled Roundup during a silent auction during the show - with an insanely low reserve price. If you need a good heater for your garage - get to the show and bid often! All proceeds go to the Hall of Fame, and you will be as toasty as a bug in rug in your garage next winter!

5/09/06
CLASSIC SHOTS
Enough said. I think the photos speak for themselves!

Polaris Race Truck, Circa 1976

The Bomber truck, same race. Notice the guys in the "Snow Jock" hats.

Doug Hayes, 1976

1977 Winnepeg to St. Paul I-500 Start

Mike Trapp's 1976 Ski-Doo SnoPros

Fresh from the weeds - a 76 TX 440cc and an 80 340cc TXC. The Rupp Man and I found them while riding bikes last weekend. Now what the heck do I do with them?